Back to school

Alexander started 1st grade today and with that he changed schools from Van Meter to Blossom Hill although they currently share the same campus. His teacher Mr Martin from what I could tell from observing him last year has no sense of humour and seemed to spend his time after class enforcing the rules with a rigor unlike any other teacher on the campus.

He reminded me of Mrs Ramsey who when I was 8 destroyed our love or learning and replaced it with fear of failure. I hate the woman to this day and so does Brain T. who I met when he was working in the gardens at Kames Castle where we were on vacation. It turned out we both went to Rothesay Primary School within a year or so of each other. He asked me if I had been taught by Mrs Ramsey. When I said yes, he asked if she had scunnered me. Oh yes she had and I will remember it to my dying day. At least I didn't suffer the belt like Brian T.

So surrounded by classrooms whose exteriors were adorned with teddy bears, kites and the like, Mr Martins "decoration" on the railing stood out rather starkly.